Energy Trends in Manufacturing
Twelve manufacturing sectors account for 85 percent of U.S. industrial energy use. A new report from the EPA details their energy use and explores policy and regulatory improvements.
April 30, 2007
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A 2007 report from the EPA details energy use in 12 manufacturing sectors and explores possible regulatory improvements. |
The Environmental Protection Agency released "Energy Trends in Selected Manufacturing Sectors" earlier this month. It evaluates each of 12 manufacturing sectors, and makes recommendations on the most effective ways to tackle energy problems.
The 12 sectors analyzed are aluminum, cement, chemical manufacturing, food manufacturing, forest products, iron and steel, metal casting, metal finishing, motor vehicle manufacturing, motor vehicle parts manufacturing, petroleum refining, and shipbuilding.
Under a business-as-usual scenario, energy consumption across many of these sectors will increase by 20 percent from 2004 levels by 2020, and carbon dioxide emissions will increase by 14 percent.
The report, the first of its kind from the EPA, explores policy and regulatory strategies that could remove impediments and open the way to improvements.
How Manufacturers Can Tackle Energy Problems
INDUSTRY Recommendation
Cement Process improvements and equipment retrofitting and replacement
Chemicals Use of combined heat and power
Iron & Steel Research and development